Pioneer E Press Kit

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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION TELS. WO 2-4155WASHINGTON,D.C. 20546 WO 3-6925FOR RELEASE: FRIDAY P.M.

August 22, 1969RELEASE NO: 69-116

PROJ ECT: PIONEER E(To be launched noR earlier than Aug. 27.)contentsS ENERAL RELEASE----------------------------------------------1-7

-PIONEERSPACECRAFT-----------------------------------------8-10SCIENTIFIC INVESTTGA'I'TONS------------------------------------1Descri~ptl on or Solar. Space------------------------------1.1-13PIONEER E SCIENTTFIC INSTRUMENTS AND ASS.OCIATEDINVESTIGATIONS------------------------------------------ 14EX PE R IM EN TS ---------------------------------------------------15-17DELTA LAUNCH VEHICLE ---------------------------------------- 18-19NOMINAL DELTA FLIGHT EVENTS FOR PIONEER-E MISSION------------20TEST AND TRAINING SATELLITE (TETR-C)------------------------21-2DkElEE' SPACE N ET W O RK -------------------------------------------23-24T TONEER PROJEtCT OFFICIALS------------------------------------25-26

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NATIONAL AERONAUTIC, AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION (202) 962-4155WASHINGTON,D.C. 20546 TELS: (202) 963-6925FOR RELEASE: FRIDAY P.M.August 22, 1969

RELEASE NO: 69-116

PIONEER E LAUNCH SCHEDULE

The National Aeronautics arid Space Administration willlaunch the last in the current series of interplanetary Pioneerspacecraft, Pioneer-E, from Cape Kennedy, Fla., no earlier thanAugust 27, 1969. The launch window is 6:06 to 6:15 p.m. EDT.

Upon successful launch it will become Pioneer 10.The long-tank Delta launch vehicle will place the space-

craft in a solar orbit along the path of Earth's orbit. Thespacecraft will pass inside and outside Earth's orbit, alternatelyspeeding up and slowing down relative to Earth. This unique orbitwill keep Pioneer within 10 million miles of Earth during itssix months to two and one-half years operational lifetime. Thespacecraft will continue to transmit scientific data at a highrate throughout this period, and possibly longer.

A Test and Training Satellite (TETR.-C) will be launched asa secondary payload with Pioneer E.

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Pioneer-E's mission is to acquire data on plasma, energeticparticles, magnetic and electric fields radiating outward fromthe Sun toward Earth. These data will be combined with those fromthe four preceding Pioneers 6, 7, 8 and 9 as well as Mariners 4 and5, and seven Interplanetary Explorers (IMPs) three of which arestill operating. All these spacecraft are expected to monitor thehigh activity period of the l-year solar cycle, which peaks thisyear.

The combined data will help scientists further understandsolar processes, the interplanetary medium and the effects ofsolar activity on the Earth.

Solar disturbance warnings are supplied to the EnvironmentalScience Services Administration's Space Disturbance Forecast Center,Boulder, Colo. They are then issued to about 1,000 primary users.These include the Federal Aviation Agency, commercial airlines,power companies, communications organizations, and organizationsdoing electronic prospecting, surveying and navigation.

Pioneer data, taken simultaneously at many points, millionsof mile; apart, around the Sun, are reduced by computer:; to producesolar weather tables.

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-3-These "solar weather stations" provide up to two weeks'

warning on the effects of solar activity on Earth. Anotherpractical application of solar data is expected to be an improvedability to predict or control certain aspects of our terrestrialenvironment. U.S. weather scientists have found statisticalcorrelations between solar disturbances and frequency and intensityof Earth storms. Some scientists believe climate, earthquakeactivity, even life pattern and growth rate are directly relatedto solar activity.

Pioneer spacecraft are now providing warnings of communicationsblackouts and electric power interruptions. During the Apollolunar landings, hourly reports on solar activity were sent to theApollo Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas. The Apollo reportswere to guard against any unexpected arrival of intense showersof solar protons which could be dangerous to astronauts on the Moon.

Adequate solar forecasting is essential to the success ofmany aerospace activities. There are more than 1500 objects inorbit around Earth today, and with the coming age of supersonicaircraft flying on the fringes of space, solar proton warningswiLl be needed for passenger safety.

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Geomagnetic storms (intense variations in the rnaginitudeand direction of the Earth's magnetic field) and other spacedisturbances modify the orbits of spacecraft, and charged particlesdegrade or damage solar cells, instruments and other electroniccomponents used in space vehicles. Increased knowledge of spacedisturbances can result in more effective protection against them.

Geomagnetic storms for years have caused trouble for equip-ment such as compasses and other devices depending on a stablemagnetic field.

Companies exploring for oil or minerals with aircraft areforced to suspend operations during an intense geomagnetic storm.There is evidence that overloads, opened circuit breakers and otherdisruptions to large electric power utility systems, particularlyin northern latitudes, have been caused by such storms. This maybecome an L.icreasing problem as utility operations encompass larger(geographically dispersed) interconnected power networks.

Malfunctions in wireline communications, communication andnavigation detection systems utilizing high frequency radio signals,and telemetry from spacecraft are attributed to geomagnetic distur-bances. During intense storms, high frequency communications alongsome routes become impossible for many days, even a week or more.

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-5-On April 13, 1969 solar disturbances, picked up by Pioneer

spacecraft three days earlier, resulted in shutting down almostall radio communications for almost a week in the arctic regrions,.

Based on evidence recorded by Pioneer 7 on April 22, a geo-magnetic storm was forecast for April 28. It began within threehours of the time predicted. Such predictions are expected to bemuch improved when the processes in the interplanetary medium arebetter understood.

The million-mile-an-hour solar wind, which constantly blow::out from the Sun, is threaded with curving magnetic filaments rootedin the Sun, carrying massive streams of high-energy particle:;.At the Earth they have a diameter of about two million miles. Newparticles constantly sweep past Earth in co-rotation with the sun',27-day rotation.

Very-high-energy solar storm particles from solar flares cancover the 93 million miles from Sun to Earth in as little as 20minutes.

Scientific results obtained through research conducted withthe most recently launched Pioneers include:

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1) Measurements by high-resolution solar wind, electricfield, and magnctometer instruments on Pioneers 8 and 9 haveprovided new information on the functions of the magnetosphere(the protective magnetic envelope which shields the Earth fromhigh energy solar particle radiation).

2) Diffuse solar plasma regions appear to have an attractionof their own, which could account for the drawing out of theEarth's magnetic tail to several million miles, a phenomenon stillnot adequately explained.

3) Cosmic dust populations have been measured by coincidence-type instruments (to detect meteorites on impact) on Pioneer 8 and9. Spatial density of micrometeorites is considered low enoughto pose no hazard to missions in this region of space.

4) Several years of precision radar tracking of the fourPioneer spacecraft now in solar orbit have helped experimentersestablish the most reliable value to date for the Earth-Moon massratio (accurate to 1 part in 8000), as well as for the Sun-Earthmass ratio (accurate to 1 part in 400,000).

5) Pioneer 6 passed behind the Sun last November. Theeffects of passage through the solar corona on its radio signalwere measured, providing data on changes in the electrical andmagnetic characteristics of the corona.

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-7-Scientific experiments on Pioneer-E include a high-resolution

magnetometer, instruments to measure the solar wind, solar andgalactic cosmic ray particles, electron densities, electricfields and cosmic dust.

A continuing celestial mechanics experiment based on trackingdata from Pioneer spacecraft is refining measurements of Sun-Earthdistances and planetary orbits. In addition, it is acquiringadditional data regarding the theory of general relativity.

The Pioneer program is directed by NASA's Office of SpaceScience and Applications. Project management is by NASA's AmesResearch Center, Mountain View, Calif. The Delta launch vehicleis managed by Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., andis launched by Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

Communications and tracking will be by NASA's Deep SpaceNetwork (DSN), operated for NASA by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory,Pasadena, Calif.

The Pioneer spacecraft are built by TRW Systerms Group,Redondo Beach, Calif. The Delta rocket is built by McDonnellDouglas Corp. at Santa Monica, Calif.END OF GENERAL RELEASE; BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOLLOWS

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PIONEER 1: .PACE-CRAFTOverall Con f1gurirat ion

The Pioneers aro (It:'1rned a: rurfged , hif h--pei'for'iiiancespacecraft. 'Tihey have pi'ovcd atbl' to reiLarn larve amountsof data on flights )f several year.; over diz;tances; of manymll.iions of miles.

All spacecraft systolrlm have bec.rl ch(sen for Simplicityand reliability. Maneuvering, for exampii~le, i.n handled bya single cold-gas Jet.Pioneer E weigh 1.118 pounds and carries 40 pounds ofscientific experiments. Attitude of the P4oneers is ex-tremely stable. Average drift fo r each *;Ix months in spacehas been about one deiprOeQ.The npaceciflft l:; ni drum-ihap)ed vonta4.rier, 35 lnches

high and 3l inche:; I dtI ln(ieer. [t:', Ld(e aX- covreid withsolar cells, and div(i(dd by a narrow CLrcUlar ' band contain-ing apertures fo r Cou- experiments arnd four orientation Sunsensors. A fifth Sun sensor providen th e experiments witha directional reference tlo the .un's pos-ition.

At 120-degree intervals around the side; of the space-craft are three five-foot four-inch boom.-;, del)oyed horizon-tally in flight by the 3;;irn of the ;pacecraft.Within the spacecraft, a circular platform carries most

of the equipment. B3elow th e platform, a pressure spherecarries the gas for th e orientation system.The spacecraft structure, made p)rlncJpally of aluminum,is lightweight and its cylindrical shape is inherently strong.There are more than 56,000 parts in ) Pioneer, includig , itsscientific Instrumento.

Commun.ication System

The 35-pound Pioneer communications, timing, and datahandling system has performed well, aboard Pioneers 6, 7, 8and 9. It has returned some 1. 8 billion data bits to Earthof 3,400 measurements. Pioneers 6, 7, 8 and 9 have received25,000 commands from the ground.

The system mai.ntains two-way S-band communication atabout 2,200 megahertz.

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PIONEER ORIENTATION MANEUVERINGSPACECRAFTMOVES THIS WA Y

R 60 RPMSHORT THRUSTS SPINAGAINST SPIN

4, AXIS BRINGFORCE TO BEAR . . . . AND TURNSIN A PLANE b SPIN AXIS ( AN DPERPENDICULAR SPACECRAFT )TO DIRECTION AOTOF THRUSTS SELECTED AXIS(GYROSCOPE v--EFFECT)..

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P1 0 E:V " RpA(l*oAFT Crnl7PT'rToLO W GAIN ANTENNA

HIGH GAIN ANTENNA

TOP COVER (INSULATION)

STRUTS MAGNETOMETEREXPERIMENT

SOUR ARRAY FRAMESSUN SENSOR SB"S "C-> D S U N SENSOR"'C"

SU N SENSOR BRACKETSRSUN SENSOR "

INSULTN BANDOR Z/ORIENTATION NOZZLESU N SENSOR 'A"

{ f ASTANFORDSOLAR ARRAY ANTENNATHERMAL LOUVERS

EQUIPMENT PLATFORM /

PUATFORM STRUTS / PLAFOR - PNEUMATIC BOTTLEINTERSTAGE STRUCTURE ORIENTATION SYSTEM

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Commands are sent to Pioneer from DSN antenna:; inbinary (1,0) code. These commands are received by space-craft antennas and routed to one of two radio receivers.Thay then go to one of two command decoders. Once decoded,commands are routed by the command distribution unit to aspacecraft system or experiment for execution.To send information back to Earth, the spacecraft

transmitter driver puts coded data on the basic S-bandcarrier and routes it to one of the two spacecraft travel-ing wave tubes, which amplifies the signal to about eightwatts.The Pioneers have the greatest data-return capacity ofany interplanetary spacecraft because they match the mostefficient rate of data return with the distance from theEarth. They return data at 512, 256, 64, 16, and 8 bitsper second.

The convolutional coding system increases by 40 percent the maximum distance from Earth at which it is poss-ible to use any given bit rate. An encoder is synchronizedwith the spacecraft digital telemetry unit. Data from thisunit are processed into a coded bit stream for transmissionto the ground.

The ground station computers are programmed to processthe coded data bit stream and, by using the coding information,can correct errors caused by the transmission link. The finaldata output has such a low error rate that the maximum dis-tance at which a bit rate is usable is increased by 40 percent over the uncoded system.The spacecraft memory can store samples of data obtained

during periods of up to 19 hours for later transmission toEarth.Attitude Control

The Pioneers use the gyroscopic effects of their60-rpm rotation to maintain a stable attitude.Changes in attitude are achieved by turning thespacecraft about a ;e'ected axis through many brief thru:-tsfrom the nitrogen gas Jet at the end of one boom. force fromthis gas jet must be applied perpendicular to the desired

direction of motion because the spinning craft precedeslike a gyroscope.- more -

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Thrustb applied at one point on the circle of space-craft rotation are timed by a sensor which sees the Sunonce each spacecraft revolution.Because the many thrusts at one point produce wobblingrotation, wobble is eliminated by flexibility of all threebooms and by a damper consisting of two small balls in twocylinders at the end of one boom.Pioneer E must have its spin axis perpendicular to bothSun-spacecraft line and Earth-spacecraft line, so that solarcells are illuminated efficiently, and the narrow beam an-tenna focuses on the Earth.Sun orientation is automatic. One Sun-sensor sees theSun for 80 degrees above the plane of spacecraft rotation;a second sees the Sun for 80 degrees below this plane.Proper orientation is achieved when the spacecraft turnsuntil both see the Sun.For Earth orientation, ground commands rotate the

spacecraft around the spacecraft-Sun line, until its high-gain antenna acquires the Earth.Power Systems

Pioneer E's 10,368 silicon crystal, n-on-p solar cellsprovide the spacecraft its 60-watt power needs.Auxiliary power during launch, before solar cells beginto functiu.., is provided by a rechargeable silver-zinc battery,with a capacity of about two hours.

Temperature ControlTemperature is controlled by managing heat producedby spacecraft equipment and by heat-reflective coatings onthe spacecraft exterior. Twenty louvers under the space-craft equipment platform, actuated by bi-metallic springs,open and close automatically to release heat.

Magnetic FieldThe magnetic field of tne Pioneers is extremely low,1/10 gamma (1/500,000 the Earth's field). Engineers achievedthis low magnetism by using non-magnetic materials, new fab-rication and inspection techniques, and design innovations.

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SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATIONSInterplanetary space is hundreds o1 times Less densethan the best vacuums achieved on Earth. Nevertheless,particles and fields radiated from solar disturbances pro-pagate through it. They cause the auroras and feed the VanAllen radiation belts. Solar radiation provides the Earthits basic energy source.Phenomena being explored by Pioneer spacecraft ininterplanetary space include:Particles -- Electrons and hydrogen, helium and othernuclei carrying an electric charge whichmake up the "solar wind"; cosmic rays fromSun or galaxy which are extremely energetic(fast-moving) charged nuclei of many ele-ments; cosmic dust and meteoroids.Radiation -- The entire electromagnetic spectrun suchas light, radio and X-rays.Fields -- Magnetic, electric and gravitational.Scientists now believe, based to a substantial degreeon Pioneer discoveries, that these ingredients are inter-related as follows:

Description of Solar SpaceThe solar wind originates when the solar surfaceheated by the thermonuclear reaction in the Sun's center,throws off ionized gases into space. Positive nuclei and

negative electrons are ejected into space from the Sun's2,000,000 degree F. corona, perhaps heated by local shockwaves. The particles reach a speed of around one millionmiles-per-hour as solar gravity weakens.The magnetic field on the Sun's surface is the totalresult of a mass of small bi-polar fields. This complextwisted field is carried by the solar wind far beyond theEarth's orbit. The field is further bent as numerous solarwind "beams" (masses of gas on separate paths) collide andchange direction.

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In the Sun's corona, the magnetic field divides intomajor radial sectors (commonly from two to seven), each witha single field direction the reverse of its neighbor.These large sectors, extending, fa r beyond the Earthl

, are believed to be created by surface regions which send outhigh-speed streams of solar Wind for'months. When a regiondies, its sector disappear's, and new regions produce newSectors.Local disturbances on the Sun throw out masses of'solar wind particles and-high energy particles (solar cosmicrays). During disturbances, magnetic field strength in localsolar regions can rise-from -100 to 1,.000 times the normalof 100,000 gamma. (Earth's-surface field is 50,000 ganma; 4interpoanetbry field,,, -five'sgamma,):. '-Lower-energy so-lar cosmi- ray-particles cover the 93million fidles to the Earth in one to two hours. Higher-energy-particles arrive', in- s li ttle as 20 mi.nrutes, They break out-of the twistedd interplanetary fi6 ld- bu.t ollowlits general. radi-a-lire~t~iop,. .Theyt~rave'l in long curves crossing tie

Earth-Sun line at an-.ahgie of abut 5 degiess. I-The flow of lower energy cosnic rays often lasts manyhours. The Sun appears to, store" them-near its surface.The particles-frequently'are injected 6nto a number of ,d-lffferent mrignetic fil14ament arid particles from the samesolar disturbance may reach the L~arth in e'ntrely oeparate,twisted streams .Solar wind streams spiraling out from disturbed regionson the Sun collide with slower wind masses',, crediting rela-tively dense shock areas. These radial shock fronts behavelike vanes of a centrifugal pump, pushing galactic cosmic

rays out of the inner solar system.Very intense waves, much like sound.waves, *form duringsolar storms, especially'at boundaries between fast and slow-moving segments of the solar wind. These waves accelerateand alter solar wind-flow.The solar wind now is believed to extend out Ato'between 900 million and nine billion miles. Where it-endsis the margin o.f the interplanetary field and the boundarybetween interplanetary and interstellar space. Slight variationsin direction Of galactic cosmic ray particles may be due to

passage through this boundary.

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The North-South magnetic field of the Sun is the sumof many local fields. It seems to disappear at the peak ofeach 11-year solar cycle and the to reappear with North andSouth poles reversed.

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PIONEER E SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS AND ASSOCIATED INVEISTiTGATIoNs

Wt. PowerInstrument (lb.) (watts) Tnve:;tigators:Three-Axis Magnetometer 6.66 ').2 C. P. :;Otunett*D1.S. Colbtbun

Ame::. Ho(';. CenterCosmic-Ray Telescope 7.89 2.7~4 W.H. Webber.*Univ. of' Minn.Radio Propagation Detector 5.05 1.35 V.R. Eshleman*

A.A. PetersonStanford Univ.R.L. LeadabrarndH T. Howar'dR. LongStan. Hies. Ins;t.

Electric Field Detector 0.80 o.413 F.L. Scarf"-G.M. Cook1. GreenTrRW Systems,

Quadrispherical Plasma 5.91 3.10 J.H. Wolfe*Analyzer D.D. McKibbinAmes lies. CenterCosmic-Ray Anistropy 5.56 1.78 K.G. McCr~ake~n*Detector Univ. of ' Adelaid,

R.T. BukataS.W. Cent. for Adv.Stud.1 esW.C. BartleyNat. Acad. of' Sci.U. . HaoU. of Ahmedabad,India

Cosmic Dust Detector 41.26 0.141 O.E. B~erg*GSFC

Celestial Mechanics--- J.D. Anderson*JPL*Principal InucBtigators

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EXPERIMENTSA list of the scientific experiments with essentialcharacteristics of the instruments and names of the experi-menters is given in the table (pagel4 ) and described indetail below:

Three-Axis MagnetometerThis experiment continuously measures the rapidly-varyingstrength and direction of the interplanetary magnetic fieldsimultaneously in three axes.The experiment sensor is mounted on a i'ive-foot boom toisolate it from the spacecraft's minor magnetic field.It measures the field over a range of *50 gamma with avery fine resolution of .1 gamma. It contains three mutuallyperpendicular fluxgate sensors. A thermal-electric motorrotates two of the sensors 90 degrees on command, interchangingthem to measure possible sensor drift. The instrument's pre-

cision is due in part to a digital signal processor, whicheliminates effects of spacecraft spin, and to digital filters,which process the three field components to eliminate samplingerrors. It measures up to 3.5 vectors per second.Quadrispherical Plasma Analyzer

This experiment measures particles in t'he solar wind --quantities, directions, energies, and temperatures.The instrument employs two parallel curved plates. Avoltage across the plate's is varied to select particles to bemeasured. Particles then pass between the plates and land on

a collector. Horizontal directions are measured by notingthe direction the probe looks out from the spinning spacecraft;vertical direction by three collector plates which look outover an arc of 160 degrees. The experiment measures electronenergies from 14 to 1000 electron volts, and positive ionsfrom 200 to 15,000 electron volts. It can measure 50,0(0 to100 million particles per sq. cn.. per second with accuraciesbetter than 1 degree in direction and I per cent in velocity.Radio Propagation Detector

This experiment determines total electron content betweenPioneer and the Earth. The 150-foot dish antenna at StanfordUniversity sends radio ;;igrinals to a special receiver on thes.pacecraftt.

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The receiver can hear the Stanford signal from as faraway as 280 million miles, Experimenters send low and highfrequency signals to the spacecraft. The greater slowing ofthe low frequencies by electrons in space allows measurementsof electron density.Electric Field Detector

This instrument measures the electric components of lowfrequency radio waves and waves created by density variationsin the solar wind. Unequal concentrations of positive ionsand negative electrons have electric fields between them. Theinstrument uses an alternating current electrometer to measurethe fields as shown by small voltage changes in the Stanfordantenna on the spacecraft.Cosmi RayAnisotropy Detector

This instrument finds arrival direction, mass, andenergy (speed) of solar and galactic cosmic ray particles.It consists of a crystal scintillator which producesflashes of light of varying intensity, depending on the energy,direction and type of cosmic ray particle which strikes itscrystal lattice. The instrument detects particles arrivingfrom eight directions in the plane of the Earth's orbit, andfrom below and above the spacecraft. The energy range measuredis from three million to 360 million electron volts.

Cosmic Ray TelescopeThis instrument measures numbers, energy, direction, charge,and distribution through space of nuclei of atoms from onemillion to one billion electron volts. It employs two solid-state, surface-barrier detectors, three solid-state lithium-drift detectors, one detector with a synthetic sapphire windowto a photomultiplier tube, and one with a plastic guard cupmonitored by photomultipliers.Selection of one of five detector combinations to bemonitored is by ground command. Resolution is better thanany such instrument to date. The relative abundance ofelements in cosmic rays aids scientists in developing theoriesabout their origin.

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Cosmic Dust DetectorThe instrument measures the momentum, energy, anddistribution in interplanetary space of minute meteoroids.It determines the velocity, mass, and flux of particles from50 millionths to less than a trillionth gram at speeds up to

900,000 mph.Two sets of thin-film panels front a piezoelectriccrystal microphone mounted on an impact plate. These elementsmeasure particle flight time between front and rear films,determine direction by comparing front and rear penetrationpoints, and measure impact on the plate.

Celestial Mechanics ExperimentThe purpose of this experiment is to determine better:the Astronomical Unit (Earth-Sun distance), shape and orienta-tion of the planet orbits, and to test the theory of generalrelativity. The Pioneer spacecraft provide usefuldata forthis because of their long-duration solar orbits, spinstabilization with negligible non-gravity effects, and differ-ent solar orbits for each Pioneer.The experiment will use the DSN precision radar trackingdata and large digital computers.

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DELTA LAUNCH VEHICLEThe Pioneer-E mission will mark the 73rd flight of aDelta launch vehicle since 1960. Of the previous 72 launchings,66 were successful.Delta is managed for NASA's Office of Space Science andApplications by the Goddard Space Flight Center. The McDonnellDouglas Corp. is Delta prime contractor.Following are th e general characteristics of the three stagevehicle fo r the Pioneer-i: mission:

Total Height: 106 feet (including shroud)Total Weight: 200,000 poundsMaximum Diameter (first stage): 8 feetFirst Stage Thrust (average): 325,000 pounds

First Stage (Liquid only): Modified Air Force Thor, produced byMcDonnell Douglas Corp.; engine- by Rockotdyne Division of NorthAmerican Rockwell.Height: 75 feetDiameter: 8 feetPropellants: RJ-l kerosene for the fuel and liquidoxygen (LOX) for the oxidizer.Thrust: 172,000 poundsWeight: 186,000 poundsBurning Time: 3 min. 41 sec.

Strap-on Solids: Three Cas:tor-TT solid propellant rockets producedby the Thiokol Chemical Corp.Height: 20 feetDiameter: 2.6 feetProoellants: SolidThrust: 153,000 pounds (51,000 each)Weight: 29,600 pounds (9866 each)Burning Time: 39 sec.

Second Stage: Produced by the McDonnell Douglas Corp., utilizingthe Aerojet General Corp., propulsion system; major contractorsfor the autopilot include Minneapolis-Hioneywell, Inc., TexasInstruments, Inc., and Electro-solids Corp.

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Height: 13 feetDiameter: 4 feet 7 inchesPropellants: Liquid-&-Unsymmetrical D)imethyl Hydrazine(UDMH) for the fuel and Inhibited RedFuming Nitric Acid (IRFNA) for the oxidizer.Thrust: 7,800 poundsWeight: 13,000 poundsBurning Time: 6 min. 19 sec.Third Stage: United Aircraft FW-4 solid motor.

Height: 5 feetDiameter: 20 inchesPropellants: SolidThrust: 6,ooo poundsWeight: 700 poundsBurning Time: 32 sec.

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NOMINAL DELTA FLIGHT EVENTS FOR PIONEER-E MISSIONEvent Time Surface Range Altitude Velocity(Statute Miles) (Statute Miles) (Miles Per Hour)Solid Motor Burnout 39 Sec. 1,763 feet 3 Miles 1,259 mphSolid Motor Separation 1 Min. 10 Sec. 2 Miles 10 Miles 1,527 mphMain Engine Cutoff (MECO) 3 Min. 41 Sec. 127 Miles 91 Miles 10,026 mphSecond Stage Ignition 3 Min. 47 Sec. 139 Miles 98 Miles -10,006 mphShroud Separation 3 Min. 50 Sec. 147 Miles 101 Miles 10,017 mphSecond Engcine Cutoff 10 Min. 6 Sec. 1,239 Miles 345 Miles 16,963 mph(SECO)Third Stage Ignition 32 Min. 1 Sec. 1,812 Miles 342 Miles 16,978 mph

0 Third Stage Burnout 32 Min. 33 Sec. 6,775 Miles 342 Miles 24,030 mph O.. (DSpacecraft Separation;

TEst :-Raining (TETR-C)\ Satellite 32 Min. 49 See.Pioneer-E 33 Min. 21 Sec.


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TEST AND TRAINING SATELLITE (TETR-C)Its purpose is to provide crew training and engineeringtests of NASA's Manned Space Flight Network (MSFN).The TETR-C carries a payload consisting of an S-Band trans-ponder which transmits and receives signals simulating the Apollospacecraft. It will provide an active target useful for trainingthe personnel and testing the equipment of MSFN.Designated TETR 3, in orbit, the 45-pound, magnetic-stabilizedspacecraft will be mounted in the rear of the second stage.The satellite will be ejected rearward at three feet per secondabout one minute after third-stage ignition. The planned orbit iscircular, 300 nautical miles above the Earth, with an inclinationof 33 degrees to the Equator and an orbital period of 96 minutes.Estimated lifetime is 20 months.13y means of this satellite MSFN personnel will be able toreceive realistic training in the checkout of the Unified S-Bandsystem used on Apollo, mission simulations, practice in teachingprocedures, and development and verification of new procedures.

It will also be used to perform MSFN engineering and operationaltests on the S-Band problem areas.The spacecraft is octahedron-shaped (bottom to bottom pyramids),11 inches on each side. The basic configuration provides mounting

support for both externally-and internally-located components.The top apex supports an S-Band antenna with mast. At two

opposite apexes in the center plane are mounted the VHF transmitterantenna sections. The bottom apex has a fitting for mounting andejecting the spacecraft from its canister. The VHF command telemetryantenna section is located near the bottom apex.Electrical power for sub-systems is generated through solarcell panels on the eight faces of the spacecraft. The battery pack,with an average capacity of 6-ampere hours, provides power for theS-Band transmission and operation while the satellite is in darkness.TIhe battery is recharged in 20 to 30 hours. The battery pack canprovide continuous full power for operation of the spacecraft forapproximately 3.2 hours.Tlhfe Manned Space Flight Network is operated independent of theDeep Space Network which will support the Pioneer E. MSFN stationsare located at Antigua and Ascension islands; Canberra and Carnarvon,Australia; Bermuda; Grand Bahama Island; Tananarive, Madagascar;Guaymas, Mexico; Madrid and Canary Islands, Spain; Corpus Chrtsti,Tex.; Goldstone, Cal.; Guam; and Kokee Park, Hawaii.

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-22-The TETR program is directed by the Network SupportImplementation Division, Office of Tracking and Data Acqu';ition.Project management is under the Goddard Space Flight Center, Green-belt, Md. The TETR spacecraft are designed and built by TPRW'sSpace Vehicles Division, Redondo Beach, Call.f.

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DEEP SPACE NETWORK LOCATIONSAtc2.. Oct&% hacilt OCIA% -

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-23-DEEP SPACE NETWORK

To provide precision tracking, command and communicationwith Pioneer E for a prolonged period, the solar probe will besupported by an expanded global Deep Space Network (DSN) of 85-foot diameter antennas.Pioneer E will be tracked by the normal complement of DSNstations: Echo station at Goldstone, Cal.; Tidbinbilla, near Canberra,Australia; and Cebreros, near Madrid, Spain. In addition,Johannesburg, South Africa, will support the injection phaseand the first two days of the flight.Supplementing these stations with nearly continuous precisiontracking for the first 30 days will be other DSN units at Robledo,near Madrid; Woomera, Australia; and the Pioneer station at Goldstone,together with stations of the Manned Space Flight Network (MSFN)at Goldstone, Madrid, and Honeysuckle Creek, near Canberra. Thesupplementary support will be required of all stations at leastpart-time for many months in the future as the mission progresses.If the spacecraft functions long enough, tracking will beperformed for a total of three to five years. Special commandencoders and other equipment have been installed at selectedstations for the Pioneer E flight.The DSN Space Flight Operations Facility at the Jet PropulsionLaboratory, Pasadena, Cal., will command the Pioneer E mission forthe first few days. Then the base of command will shift to theAmes Research Center, Mountain View, Cal.Completed tapes of recorded data will be mailed from each.,tation to the Pasadena facility for checking, thence to Ames forprocessing into separate recordings and distribution to experimenters,contractors and project personnel for their detailed analysisand study.The essential deep-space tracking role will begin as the launchphase of the Pioneer E flight ends with launch stage separation.The Johannesburg station will track through separation and injectionand afterward until the spacecraft is acquired by Canberra, about50 minutes after liftoff. The nearby MSFN unit at HoneysuckleCreek will provide backup support.While this mission progresses, the network will continue totrack Pioneers 6, 7, 8 and 9, which were launched in the periodsince December 1965. Their major tracking support will come fromthe 210-foot diameter antenna of the Mars station at Goldstone.The 210 will command and receive data from the four Pioneers asthey travel around the Sun, or some 200 million miles.

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Capable of 6.5 times the sensitivity of the 85-foot antennas,or one-tenth of one-trillionth of one-trillioInth of a watt, the210 serves to assure the capability and useful life of all thePioneers as long as their operating systems last.The networks of NASA's Office of Tracking and Data Acquisitionare managed and operated at major field centers. The Deep SpaceNetwork is under control of JPL, the MSFN of NASA's Goddard SpacePlight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Goddard also operates NAOSCOM, theNASA global communications network.

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PIONEER PROJECT OFFICIALSNASA Headquarters

Dr. John Naugle, Associate Administrator for SpaceScience and ApplicationsDonald P. Hearth, Director, Planetary ProgramsGlenn A. Reiff, Pioneer Program ManagerClarence P. Wilson, Pioneer Program EngineerDr. Albert G. Opp, Pioneer Program ScientistIsaac T. Gilliam, Delta Program Manager

Ames Research CenterDr. Hans Mark, DirectorJohn V. Foster, Director of DevelopmentCharles F. Hall, Pioneer Project ManagerDr. John H. Wolfe, Pioneer Project ScientistRalph W. Holtzclaw, Pioneer Spacecraft Systems ManagerJoseph E. Lepetich, Pioneer Experiments Systems ManagerRobert R. Nunamaker, Pioneer Flight Operations ManagerRobert U. Hofstetter, Pioneer Launch Vehicle and Tra-jectory Analysis Manager

Kennedy Space CenterDr. Kurt Debus, DirectorRobert H. Gray, Assistant Director for Unmanned LaunchOperationsHugh A. Weston, Jr., Chief, Delta Operations

Goddard Space Flight CenterWilliam B. Schindler, Delta Project Manager

Jet Propulsion LaboratoryDr. Nicholas A. Renzetti, Pioneer Tracking and DataAcquisition Systems ManagerAlfred J. Siegmeth, Pioneer DSN Manager

TRw Systems GroupBernard J. O'Brien, Pioneer Project Manager

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-26-Spacecraft Subcontractors

Eagle Picher BatieriesJoplin, Mo.Texas Instruments, Inc. Solar CellsDallas, Tex.Optical Coating Labs, Inc. Solar Cell Cover GlassesSanta Rose, Calif.Rantec Diplexer and Bandpass FilterCalabasas, Calif.Hughes Aircraft Co. Traveling Wave TubesLos Angeles, Calif.Electronic Memories, Inc. Data Storage UnitHawthorne, Calif.Vitro Electronics Telemetry ReceiverSilver Spring, Md.Solid State Products, Inc. Photo Silicon ContirolSalem, Mass. RectifiersWestern Semiconductors Photo Silicon ControlSanta Ana, Calif. RectifiersSterer Engineering & Manufacturing Pressure Regulator andLos Angeles, Calif. Relief ValveWeston Hydraulics Pneumatic Solenoid ValveVan Nuys, Calif.Quantitron Coaxial SwitchLos Angeles, Calif.

Scientific Instrument ContractorsPhilco-Ford Corp. MagnetometerPalo Alto, Calif.Marshall Laboratories Plasma Probe, SCAS Cosmic RayTorrance, Calif. Instrument, Cosmic Dust

DetectorStanford Research Institute Radio Propagation DetectorMenlo Park, Calif.Honeywell Radiation Center Univ. of Minn. Cosmic RayLexington, Mass Instrument

Documents

Pioneer E Press Kit